May 8, 2011

Mother's Day 2011. I wish I could share the day with my late mom, pictured at left. For those of you with Mothers in your lives, it's time for some pampering. Flowers, cards and candy are nice. But there's something else you can do to demonstrate your appreciation for Mom: Help her plan for her future, financially and legally.

The need is clear: Our mothers tend to live longer than our fathers. The average female will spend a decade more in retirement than her male counterpart. If a woman has worked or is working still, her career is more likely to be interrupted by child care, which impacts her earnings, savings and Social Security. Daughters are also more likely than sons to be caregivers for their aging parents.

All of this adds up to some unique estate planning and financial planning challenges. In my experience, most women are well aware of these challenges and eager to take action. They worry about having sufficient funds to live on for the rest of their lives. They want to be sure their disability or death doesn't create chaos in their children's lives. Their awareness of these issues is probably the reason that more often than not, it is the wife, not the husband, that makes that first call to my office.

So how can you help secure your Mother's future and allay her worries? One suggestion is that you offer -ever so gently, respectfully and sensitively - to help her get her paperwork in order. Locating and organizing years of records is often the most difficult part of the entire estate planning process! If your Mother was recently widowed and her husband handled the finances, it can be even more intimidating. If Mother agrees, here's a partial list of the items that you can help locate and organize:

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About Florida Certified Elder Law Attorney Joseph S. Karp

Attorney Joseph S. Karp assists Florida residents and their families with trusts and wills, estate planning, disability planning, long-term care planning for home care and nursing home care, Medicaid and Veterans benefits, planning for special needs children and adults,probate and trust administration, and estate litigation. Recognized as a 2015 Florida "SuperLawyer" and Florida Trend's 2015 "Legal Elite," Mr. Karp is the founder of The Karp Law Firm, with offices in Palm Beach Gardens, Boynton Beach and Port St. Lucie, Florida. He is among the few Florida lawyers certified in Elder Law by both the Florida Bar and the National Elder Law Foundation. He has practiced law in Florida since 1977 and is also admitted to practice in New York. Learn more about the Karp Law Firm team and services at The Karp Law Firm Website. or call us at 800-893-9911.